Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State John Kerry will highlight the priority of protecting diplomats overseas during his ceremonial swearing-in on Wednesday.

The safety of America's diplomats has been scrutinized since Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in a terror attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, last September.

(CNN) - Terrorists in Benghazi, Libya, "essentially walked right into the Benghazi compound unimpeded and set it ablaze," a special Senate report on the September 11 attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans says.

The bipartisan report, "Flashing Red: A Special Report on the Terrorist Attack at Benghazi," released Monday by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, cites "extremely poor security in a threat environment that was 'flashing red.' "

(CNN) - When Bill Clinton takes the podium at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday evening his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will be half a world away - literally - meeting with the leaders of the tiny nation of East Timor.

Hillary Clinton, who hasn't missed a Democratic convention in four decades, is on an 11-day swing through the Asia-Pacific region, visiting a number of counties, including China and Indonesia, and standing in for President Barack Obama at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum later this week in Russia. Obama bowed out because of the election campaign.

(CNN) - As her blue and white jet emblazoned with "United States of America" touched down in Riga, the capital of Latvia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made some diplomatic history: visiting her 100th country as America's top diplomat. The record for any other secretary up to that point was 96.

As her plane rolled down the tarmac and a flight attendant announced the milestone, her flight-weary staff applauded.

(CNN) – The White House Tuesday denied reports that President Obama will be taking a go-it-alone approach, governing without Congress.

"He'll pursue all tracks," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters, "but it is not accurate to suggest that he doesn't want to engage with Congress and that he won't engage with Congress. In fact, he wants to continue to work with Congress."

Washington (CNN) - Foreign Service officers are firing back at Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry's charges that some State Department employees are not working in the best interest of the country.

In a written statement, the American Foreign Service Association said Thursday the Texas governor's comments "reflect a serious misunderstanding" of the role of Foreign Service officers "in promoting American interests overseas."

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama will nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as the next U.S. ambassador to China to succeed Jon Huntsman, who will step down on April 30, a senior administration official confirmed to CNN on Monday.

Locke is a former two-term governor of Washington and the first Chinese-American to be commerce secretary, according to the Commerce Department website.FULL POST

Wearing a red dress and looking straight at the camera, the secretary of state says she was "terribly saddened" by the suicides of young people who were bullied because they were gay or thought to be gay.

"I have a message for you" she says. "First of all, hang in there and ask for help. Your life is so important to your family, your friends and to your country. And there's so much waiting for you, both personally and professionally. There are so many opportunities to develop your talents and make your contributions."FULL POST